1999 OLDSMOBILE ALERO stop start

yellowblue
2-58
If the light stays on, turn the ignition to OFF. Or, if the
light comes on when you're driving, stop as soon as
possible and turn the ignition off. Then start the engine
again to reset the system. If the light still stays on, or
comes on again while you're driving, your vehicle needs
service. If the regular brake system warning light isn't
on, you still have brakes, but you don't have anti
-lock
brakes. If the regular brake system warning light is also
on, you don't have anti
-lock brakes and there's a
problem with your regular brakes. See ªBrake System
Warning Lightº earlier in this section.
The anti
-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to ON. If the
light doesn't come on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Enhanced Traction System Warning Light
With the Enhanced Traction System (ETS), this warning
light should come on briefly as you start the engine. If
the warning light doesn't come on then, have it fixed so
it will be ready to warn you if there's a problem.
If the warning light stays on, or comes on when you're
driving, there may be a problem with your Enhanced
Traction System and your vehicle may need service.
When this warning light is on, the system will not limit
wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
ProCarManuals.com

yellowblue
2-63
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running. If the light doesn't come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:

Light Flashing
-- A misfire condition has been
detected. A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service may be required.

Light On Steady
-- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:

Reducing vehicle speed.

Avoiding hard accelerations.

Avoiding steep uphill grades.

If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see ªIf
the Light Is On Steadyº following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see ªIf the Light
Is On Steadyº following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. See ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has been
left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel
cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A
few driving trips with the cap properly installed should
turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
ProCarManuals.com

yellowblue
3-11
P SCAN: Press SCAN for more than two seconds, and
P SCAN will appear on the display. The radio will go to
the first preset station stored on your pushbuttons, stop
for a few seconds, then go on to the next preset station.
Press SCAN again to stop scanning.
Setting the Tone
BASS: Press this knob lightly so it extends. Turn the
knob to increase or decrease bass. When you use this
control, the radio's tone setting will switch to manual.
TREB: Press this knob lightly so it extends. Then pull
the knob all the way out. Turn the knob to increase or
decrease treble. When you use this control, the radio's
tone setting will switch to manual. If a station is weak or
noisy, you may want to decrease the treble.
Push the knob back into its stored position when you're
not using it.
TONE: This feature allows you to choose preset bass
and treble equalization settings designed for jazz, vocal,
pop, rock and classical stations. JAZZ will appear on the
display when you first press TONE. Each time you press
it, another setting will appear on the display. Press it
again after CLASSIC appears and MANUAL will appear.
Manual tone control will return to the BASS and TREB
knobs. Also, if you use the BASS and TREB knobs,
control will return to them and MANUAL will appear.Adjusting the Speakers
BAL: Press this knob lightly so it extends. Turn the
knob to move the sound to the left or right speakers.
The middle position balances the sound between
the speakers.
FADE: Press the knob lightly so it extends. Then pull
the knob all the way out. Turn it to move the sound to
the front or rear speakers. The middle position balances
the sound between the speakers.
Push the knob back into its stored position when you're
not using it.
Playing a Cassette Tape
Your tape player is built to work best with tapes that are
up to 30 to 45 minutes long on each side. Tapes longer
than that are so thin they may not work well in
this player.
The longer side with the tape visible should face to the
right. If the ignition is on, but the radio is off, the tape
can be inserted and will begin playing. If you hear
nothing but a garbled sound, the tape may not be in
squarely. Press EJECT to remove the tape and start over.
ProCarManuals.com

yellowblue
3-15
P SCAN: Press SCAN for more than two seconds, and
P SCAN will appear on the display. The radio will go to
the first preset station stored on your pushbuttons, stop
for a few seconds, then go on to the next preset station.
Press SCAN again to stop scanning.
Setting the Tone
BASS: Press this knob lightly so it extends. Turn the
knob to increase or decrease bass. When you use this
control, the radio's tone setting will switch to manual.
TREB: Press this knob lightly so it extends. Then pull
the knob all the way out. Turn the knob to increase or
decrease treble. When you use this control, the radio's
tone setting will switch to manual. If a station is weak or
noisy, you may want to decrease the treble.
Push the knob back into its stored position when you're
not using it.
TONE: This feature allows you to choose preset bass
and treble equalization settings designed for jazz, vocal,
pop, rock and classical stations. JAZZ will appear on the
display when you first press TONE. Each time you press
it, another setting will appear on the display. Press it
again after CLASSIC appears and MANUAL will
appear. Tone control will return to the BASS and TREB
knobs. Also, if you use the BASS and TREB knobs,
control will return to them and MANUAL will appear.Adjusting the Speakers
BAL: Press this knob lightly so it extends. Turn the
knob to move the sound to the left or right speakers.
The middle position balances the sound between
the speakers.
FADE: Press the knob lightly so it extends. Then pull
the knob all the way out. Turn it to move the sound to
the front or rear speakers. The middle position balances
the sound between the speakers.
Push the knob back into its stored position when you're
not using it.
Playing a Cassette Tape
Your tape player is built to work best with tapes that
are up to 30 to 45 minutes long on each side. Tapes
longer than that are so thin they may not work well in
this player.
The longer side with the tape visible should face to the
right. If the ignition is on, but the radio is off, the tape
can be inserted and will begin playing. If you hear
nothing but a garbled sound, the tape may not be in
squarely. Press EJECT to remove the tape and start over.
ProCarManuals.com

yellowblue
4-7
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it's pavement or
gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of the
vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic.
This is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to
cool between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out
much faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you
keep pace with the traffic and allow realistic following
distances, you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary
braking. That means better braking and longer
brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you're driving, brake
normally but don't pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti
-lock brake system will check itself.
You may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise
while this test is going on, and you may even notice that
your brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal.
United States Canada
If there's a problem with the anti
-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on. See ªAnti
-Lock Brake
System Warning Lightº in the Index.
ProCarManuals.com

yellowblue
4-14

Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass
while you're awaiting an opportunity. For one thing,
following too closely reduces your area of vision,
especially if you're following a larger vehicle.
Also, you won't have adequate space if the vehicle
ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.

When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and
don't get too close. Time your move so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
ªrunning startº that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.

If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn. But take care that someone isn't trying to
pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really is.)

Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two
-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.

Don't overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.

If you're being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
ProCarManuals.com

yellowblue
4-15
Loss of Control
Let's review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don't have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don't give up. Keep trying to
steer and constantly seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not
ªoverdrivingº those conditions. But skids are
always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle's
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren't rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
If you have the Enhanced Traction System, remember:
It helps avoid only the acceleration skid.If you do not have the Enhanced Traction System, or if
the system is off, then an acceleration skid is also best
handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you'll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make a ªmirrored surfaceº
-- and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti
-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
ProCarManuals.com

yellowblue
4-18
Driving in Rain and on Wet RoadsRain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
road, you can't stop, accelerate or turn as well because
your tire
-to-road traction isn't as good as on dry roads.
And, if your tires don't have much tread left, you'll get
even less traction. It's always wise to go slower and be
cautious if rain starts to fall while you are driving. The
surface may get wet suddenly when your reflexes are
tuned for driving on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your
windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain
can make it harder to see road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings, the edge of the road and even
people walking.
It's wise to keep your windshield wiping equipment in
good shape and keep your windshield washer tank filled
with washer fluid. Replace your windshield wiper
inserts when they show signs of streaking or missing
areas on the windshield, or when strips of rubber start to
separate from the inserts.
ProCarManuals.com